Posttreatment Exposure Rates for Y-Microsphere Patients: A Comparison of Products.

There has been a significant increase in the use of Y-microspheres in treating liver malignancies. This increase could be seen over the last 30 y, and Food and Drug Administration approval of 2 products-Sirtex SIR-Spheres and Boston Scientific TheraSphere-has helped in the proliferation of these treatments. As the increase in use of both products rose at our institution, there was a need to determine whether there should be special considerations for patients who receive one product compared with patients who receive the other product.

Acute vardenafil administration improves bladder oxygenation in spontaneously hypertensive rats.

Introduction: In human bladder, phosphodiesterase type 5 (PDE5) is present not only in the muscular wall but also in the vascular beds, suggesting a role for PDE5 inhibitors in favoring bladder blood flow and tissue oxygenation.

Aim: To investigate whether acute administration of vardenafil could affect bladder oxygenation in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR), an animal model of naturally occurring overactive bladder.

Main Outcome Measures: The effect of vardenafil on hypoxia-induced alterations was studied in vivo in SHR by acute dosing (10 mg/kg, 90 minutes before sacrifice) and in vitro in human bladder smooth muscle cells (hBCs).

Vardenafil modulates bladder contractility through cGMP-mediated inhibition of RhoA/Rho kinase signaling pathway in spontaneously hypertensive rats.

Introduction: Phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitors (PDE5i), the most widely used drugs for erectile dysfunction, could also improve lower urinary tract symptoms, essentially due to overactive bladder (OAB), a condition hypothesized to be a result of an increased RhoA/Rho-kinase (ROCK) signaling. Phosphorylation/inactivation of RhoA by cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP)-dependent protein kinase (PKG) activity has been described in vascular smooth muscle.

Aim: The aim of this paper was to investigate whether vardenafil-induced cGMP accumulation reduces RhoA/ROCK signaling in bladder.

Estrogens regulate humans and rabbit epididymal contractility through the RhoA/Rho-kinase pathway.

Introduction: We have previously demonstrated that oxytocin (OT) and endothelin-1 (ET-1) peripherally regulate epididymal motility in an estrogen-dependent way. Because RhoA/Rho-kinase (ROCK) pathway is a contractile effector downstream to both OT and ET-1 receptors, we hypothesized an estrogenic modulation of OT- and ET-1-induced contraction through the up-regulation of RhoA/ROCK signaling.

Aim: To evaluate the effect of changing endocrine milieu on RhoA/ROCK pathway in the epididymis.

Cavernous neurotomy in the rat is associated with the onset of an overt condition of hypogonadism.

Background: Most men following radical retropubic prostatectomy (RRP) are afflicted by erectile dysfunction (ED). RRP-related ED occurs as a result of surgically elicited neuropraxia, leading to histological changes in the penis, including collagenization of smooth muscle and endothelial damage.

Aim: To verify whether hypogonadism could contribute to the pathogenesis of RRP-ED.

Atorvastatin ameliorates sildenafil-induced penile erections in experimental diabetes by inhibiting diabetes-induced RhoA/Rho-kinase signaling hyperactivation.

Introduction: One of the proposed mechanisms responsible for diabetes-related erectile dysfunction (ED) is overactivity of RhoA/ROCK signaling, as seen in experimental models of chemical diabetes.

Aim: Because statins may interfere with RhoA/Rho-kinase (ROCK) signaling through the reduction of geranyl-geranyl pyrophosphate (GGPP), required for RhoA activation, we investigated whether atorvastatin ameliorated diabetes-related ED.

Methods: Streptozotocin-induced (8 weeks) diabetic rats and alloxan-induced (8 weeks) diabetic rabbits received atorvastatin (5 mg/kg daily) for the last 2 weeks.

The vitamin D receptor agonist elocalcitol inhibits IL-8-dependent benign prostatic hyperplasia stromal cell proliferation and inflammatory response by targeting the RhoA/Rho kinase and NF-kappaB pathways.

Background: Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is characterized by an important inflammatory component. Stimulation of human prostate stromal cells from BPH tissues with proinflammatory cytokines leads to secretion of IL-8, a chemokine involved in BPH pathogenesis. The vitamin D receptor (VDR) agonist elocalcitol can arrest prostate growth in BPH patients, but its mechanism of action in this pathology is still incompletely understood.

Dihydrotestosterone and leptin regulate gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) expression and secretion in human GnRH-secreting neuroblasts.

Introduction: The reversal of hypogonadotropic hypogonadism (HH), occurring after discontinuation of testosterone therapy in adolescents with delayed puberty and in a small percentage of adults with congenital HH, suggests a role for androgens in favoring a spontaneous recovery of reproductive function.

Aim: We investigated the effect of androgens and leptin on gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) expression and secretion in human GnRH-secreting neuroblasts (FNC-B4).

Methods: Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction RT-PCR for mRNA expression and radioimmunoassay for GnRH secretion were used.

Atorvastatin but not elocalcitol increases sildenafil responsiveness in spontaneously hypertensive rats by regulating the RhoA/ROCK pathway.

Spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) are characterized by impaired erectile function and overactivity of the procontractile RhoA/Rho-associated, coiled-coil-containing protein kinase (RhoA/ROCK) pathway, as compared with their normotensive counterpart, Wistar-Kyoto rats. By measuring the intracavernous pressure:mean arterial pressure (ICP:MAP) ratio after electrostimulation of the cavernous nerve, we confirmed these findings and showed that responsiveness to sildenafil (25 mg/kg by oral gavage) also is hampered in SHR. A 2-week treatment with atorvastatin (5 and 30 mg/kg) improved the sildenafil-induced ICP:MAP increase and normalized RhoA and ROCK2 overexpression in SHR corpora cavernosa (CC).

Characterisation of different clones of Picea abies (L.) Karst using head-space sampling of cortical tissues combined with enantioselective capillary gas chromatography for the separation of chiral and non-chiral monoterpenes.

Head-space sampling (HS) has been combined with enantioselective gas chromatography (GC) for the analysis of chiral and non-chiral monoterpenes present in the cortical tissues of five different Norway spruce clones. (1S)-(-)-alpha-Pinene, (1S,5S)-(-)sabinene, (1S)-(-)-beta-pinene, and (4S)-(-)limonene dominated over (1R)-(+)-alpha-pinene, (1R,5R)-(+)-sabinene, (1R)-(+)-beta-pinene, and (4R)-(+)-limonene. Results showed a large variation in the enantiomeric composition of cortical tissues between different clones.